Netrostylis capillaris

Loosely tufted perennial with slender rhizome. Culms terete, 1-grooved, smooth, 18–100 cm high, 0.3–1 mm diam. Leaf-blades filiform, less than 1 cm long, base of blade puberulous; sheath reddish to straw-coloured, striate, papillose between striations, glistening; ligule membranous. Inflorescence a single spikelet or up to 9 pedicellate spikelets in a loose cluster, nodding or erect, 0.5–4 cm long; involucral bract shorter than to as long as inflorescence. Spikelets terete, usually 1-flowered, rarely with 2 or 3 flowers, 4–6 mm long; glumes long-acute to mucronate, subdistichous, glabrous or finely ciliate near apex, mixed red-brown and straw-coloured to greyish with age; lowest 2 or 3 glumes empty, about half length of upper glumes; upper 2–4 glumes 3.5–4 mm long; hypogynous bristles absent or 4, to 1.5 mm long, flattened to filiform, remaining with inflorescence; style 3-fid; style-base persistent, conical, hispidulous, as long as or slightly exceeding body of nut. Nut ± terete, obovoid to ellipsoid, minutely wrinkled or reticulate, straw-coloured, ± dull, usually 3-ribbed, with 3 or 4 small disk-like thickenings at base, 1.8–2.5 mm long, 1.0–1.5 mm diam. Flowers spring